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A Holy Nation: Citizenship in the Kingdom

In the United States of America each birth is certified with a Birth Certificate. Being born on United States soil makes the baby a citizen of the United States. This is a big deal because immigration, or the process of becoming a Naturalized Citizen, is lengthy and complicated. Even though the process is costly, complicated, and lengthy it has not dissuaded. The decade 2001-2010 the United States gained 6.6 million new Citizens. The process is spelled out here, Application for Naturalization and A Guide to Naturalization. What would make a foreigner want to go through all this process and become a citizen? So they can participate in the land of opportunity!

Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities

Rights

• Freedom to express yourself.
• Freedom to worship as you wish.
• Right to a prompt, fair trial by jury.
• Right to vote in elections for public officials.
• Right to apply for federal employment requiring U.S. citizenship.
• Right to run for elected office.
• Freedom to pursue “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

Responsibilities

• Support and defend the Constitution.
• Stay informed of the issues affecting your community.
• Participate in the democratic process.
• Respect and obey federal, state, and local laws.
• Respect the rights, beliefs, and opinions of others.
• Participate in your local community.
• Pay income and other taxes honestly, and on time, to federal, state, and local authorities.
• Serve on a jury when called upon.
• Defend the country if the need should arise.

** Bold for emphasis

The bold should be cause for some concern. We are a free nation yet we are a nation of laws. If you break those laws you have broken your agreement as a citizen and can be held under penalty and the penalties could take your freedom and rights!

In an article entitled, "How Many Federal Laws Are There Again?" written June 6, 2015 by Matt Vespa of Townhall.com:

This is not even considering State and Local laws. Thousands upon thousands of laws that most citizens are not even aware. We are free as long as we uphold the laws of our nation. However, the U.S. of A is making it more difficult to stay free because all of it's laws.

In an article,"Too many laws, too many prisoners", the Economist reports:

If you abide by the laws you will stay free but author L. Gordon Crovitz of the Wall Street Journal claims You Commit Three Felonies a Day. Sounds like we could all be in potential bondage, just haven't been caught yet.

Unlike the U.S. the Kingdom of God is a holy nation,

Exodus 19:6 (WEB)

"...and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation."

1 Peter 2:9(WMB) says,

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. "

There is only one nation mentioned in the New Covenant, Israel. It's laws are God's laws. It's culture is God's culture. It's glory is God's glory. This is the Kingdom of God! With this in mind consider Ephesians 2. In verse 1 it speaks to the people group of those who served the "prince of the power of the air", that would be gentiles.

11 Therefore remember that once you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “uncircumcision” by that which is called “circumcision” (in the flesh, made by hands),  12  that you were at that time separate from Messiah, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Messiah Yeshua you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Messiah. 14 For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in his flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace,  16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having killed the hostility through it. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far off and to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and of the household of God, 20 being built on the foundation of the emissaries and prophets, Messiah Yeshua himself being the chief cornerstone; 21 in whom the whole building, fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 22 in whom you also are built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.

Verse 12

1. We were separate from Messiah
2. Alienated from the Commonwealth of Israel
3. Strangers from the covenants of promise

So far, not looking very well for the gentiles. No where in scripture does it say Israel will become fellow citizens in the commonwealth of the gentiles.

Verse 15 is our hope, he destroyed the law of commandments contained in ordinances. The Word used here is the same Greek word used in Colossians 2:14, this refers only to our Record of Debt! He did not destroy His Laws to make us innocent, he destroyed our guilty record in order to make us innocent. Remember he is going to write His Laws on our Heart why would he destroy those Laws, more on that next but first we have hope!

Verse 19

1. No longer strangers and foreigners
2. We are now fellow citizens with the holy ones and Household of God

We have been born into Messiah. Messiah was from the tribe of Judah, we belong to Him and are His sons and daughters, we are Jews inwardly(Romans 2:29). This makes us part of the holy nation of Israel, one new people!

1 Peter 2:10 (WMB)

In the past, you were not a people, but now are God’s people, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

His Law Written on Our Heart

A citizen must respect and obey the laws. In the New Covenant God did what He desired the Old Covenant to do. He wrote his law on our hearts!

In discussions with ministers and believers the question has been asked, "What is the New Covenant?" Each person gave varied answers. Some common misconceptions of the New Covenant:

Israel and Judah are mentioned separately because at that time they were a divided kingdom, this happened after Solomon. Notice the second part of the prophecy in verse 33, it says "house of Israel" only. The two houses have become one under the New Covenant. So, the New Covenant is made with the House of Israel.

1. Misconception: The blood of Christ being is the New Covenant.
2. Misconception: The New Covenant nailed the Laws of the Old Testament to the cross.
3. Misconception: The New Covenant is Matthew - Revelation.

This is only a short list gathered from discussions, its by no means exhaustive but it certainly represents a good starting point for gaining insight to the New Covenant.

Answering Misconception 1. The common verse used here is Luke 22:20, the key phrase is, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you..." It doesn't say the New Covenant is His blood. It says the New Covenant in His blood. This should be noted because we wouldn't have a New Covenant without the blood of Messiah, It certainly does wash away all sin, but in His blood. Once you partake of that blood Covenant, you've not partaken of flawed sacrifice. You've partaken of the Lamb of God's sacrifice, he died to make a Covenant with the House of Israel and make those who partake Sons of God. In His blood there are Pledges and Promises...

29 How much worse punishment do you think he will be judged worthy of who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified an unholy thing, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?

* Many think because the blood paid their price they can live like they want to, this couldn't be further from the truth.

Answering Misconception 2. The verse used here is Colossians 2:14: "...wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us. He has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross."

When you look further verse 14 is actually the middle of a sentence. The entire sentence reads like this, " He made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,  wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us. He has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross." (Colossians 2:13-14 WMB) It becomes more clear that it wasn't the Commandments and Instructions of the Old Testament that was nailed to the cross. It was our breaking of those Commandments and Instructions.

As an example, if someone breaks a Law in the US of A they are under penalty of breaking that Law. The charges are written up and the accused will stand before a Judge and Jury and be tried. If the accused is found guilty a sentence is meted out. This sentence would be the "Handwriting of ordinances which was against us". Now consider the guilty party begins to serve their sentence and a Government Official pardons them for their crime. They rip up the sentence and set the condemned free. The Laws are still binding and if the newly freed person commits another crime they will be charged.

Yeshua did not nail His Word to the Cross. He nailed our record of debt and unlike a Government official Yeshua stood in our place and paid our sentence of DEATH.

Answering Misconception 3.